Mr Vanloenen said he hoped strength in numbers would send a clear message to Premier Newman to "get real".

"We've realised we need to stand up.

"We're sick of job cuts and pay cuts and we don't want it to happen anymore," Mr Vanloenen said

Member for Mackay Tim Mulherin said he was concerned the Queensland Plan Summit would turn into a forum to sell the Costello Commission of Audit, tabled in Parliament last week.

An outsourcing program for a wide range of public services was one of the recommendations included in the report.

"I will not support a process where the good people of Queensland will be used to sell the Costello Commission of Audit, which will see the Australian public sector privatised," he said.

Reader poll

Should Labour Day be moved back to its original date in May?

This poll ended on 06 May 2013.

Current Results

Yes

82%

No

17%

This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.

HUNDREDS MARCH

HUNDREDS of proud unionists turned out for Mackay's annual May Day march yesterday to passionately protest the Newman Government's public sector jobs cuts and decision to move the Labour Day public holiday from the first weekend in May to October.

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union state organiser Jason Lund said May Day had been celebrated in Queensland for more than 120 years and commemorated the granting of an eight-hour working day for Australians.

Together Union regional organiser Dolph Lossberg said at a rally after the march that Queensland Premier Campbell Newman had announced more than 20,000 public sector job cuts in the past 12 months.